Graine De Pastel home and body care brand launches in the UK

(07/06/2010)

Graine De Pastel celebrates the extraordinary properties of the woad plant, known for its natural blue pigment, which give the Graine de pastel products their distinctive pastel blue colour. Fans of the laid back French country style will love the Graine De Pastel collection of home and body care products.

The entire range – from the luxury Bath Oil to the delicately scented Room Fragrance – is free from harmful chemicals, including parabens and phenoxyethanol, and produced in the Midi-Pyreneans region nearby Toulouse, with respect for the area’s cultural identity and patrimony.

All Graine de pastel products contain Pastel Oil, extracted from the seeds of the woad flowers and are incredibly rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9, which is key to healthy and radiant skin. These Essentially Fatty Acids also help to protect the skin cells, increasing their ability to maintain moisture and nutrient levels. The secret of this powerful oil has been known for centuries - even Hippocrates (born 460 BC) mentioned its healing and dermatological properties!

To create the distinctive blue colour so typical to the Graine de pastel range, the leaves of the Woad plants’ first spring shoots are put in a large water tank and soaked while a craftsman dyer adds a touch of magic to produce the rough blue pigment. During the Renaissance, crushed and dried woad leaves, shaped into small balls known as ‘cocagnes’, were traded throughout Europe. The area between Toulouse, Albi and Carcassone is still known as ‘Pays de Cocagne’ (land of plenty), which refers to the wealth created by the woad trade.

The Grain De Pastel range has been designed to highlight the amazing properties of the woad plant, which has always been part of the Toulouse region and its history, while respecting the earth and supporting local community projects. The brand is truly a local product of Southern France as it is produced by local craftsmen with the aim to support the local economy and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

The Graine De Pastel range can be purchased from luxury retailers and leading online beauty stores, including Urban Retreat at Harrods.

Related categories:  Bath and shower products   Natural ingredients 

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